Audio ReflectionAudio Reflection

May 21, 2012 – Seeing the Faces of Women – Two Cures


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This Easter season, Seeing the Word at Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary is reflecting on the faces of women illuminated in The Saint John’s Bible. These often overlooked Biblical women exhibit remarkable faith, courage, and love.

Every Monday during the Easter season a short audio-visual reflection focusing on one of these inspiring female figures will be published. Each week will feature a different presenter who will reflect on the Scripture, illumination, and their own experience as a woman.

This week Dorice Law, M.Div candidate at Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary, shares a reflection on suffering, healing, and God’s willingness to see the faces of all. (Mark 5)

Join us on Facebook (facebook.com/seeingtheword) or at seeingtheword.org for more great reflections and resources!

Written ReflectionWritten Reflection

Illuminating Christ: Two Cures

TwoCures smaller

Compassionate Healer,
You remedied disease by the gentle touch of your hands.
Revive those areas of our lives
that need healing,
so that we might have the strength to live our faith to the fullest.
We pray in your holy name,
Amen.

Join Seeing the Word this Lenten season as we take a prayerful look into the ministry of Jesus Christ through the lens of The Saint John’s Bible. The weekly posts will feature either a prayer or reflection paired with an illumination. All content was written by Jessie Bazan, M.Div. candidate.

Illumination: © Donald Jackson, 2002 The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Written ReflectionWritten Reflection

Illuminating the Mission: Day Six • Page Six

Credit: Two Cures, Aidan Hart with contributions from Donald Jackson and Sally Mae Joseph, Copyright 2002,The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Credit: Two Cures, Aidan Hart with contributions from Donald Jackson and Sally Mae Joseph, Copyright 2002,The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A Reflection on the Two Cures (Mark 5:25-43)
Rachel Gabelman, M.Div. Candidate

Perhaps like the apostles, who witness the hemorrhaging woman interrupt Jesus, we are annoyed by the untimely needs of others. Or perhaps like the crowd, who scoffed when Jesus insisted to see Jairus’ daughter who they claimed had already died, we are hopeless and believe that any efforts to help others are futile. However, both of these attitudes cause us to forfeit tremendous opportunities for personal and communal growth.

In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis writes, “Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others. He hopes that we will stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune and instead enter into the reality of other people’s lives and know the power of tenderness. Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated and we experience intensely what it is to be a people, to be part of a people” (270).

As the illumination depicts, healing takes place in the context of a community not in isolation. Jesus makes it possible for us, united in the Body of Christ, to venture beyond our fears, to reach out to the most vulnerable in our society. We must do so with confidence as a community that our pastoral outreach will make a difference, fostering life and dissolving the divisions among peoples that allow wounds to fester. It is our responsibility as Christians to alleviate unnecessary suffering. What initial step can you take today to combat the pervasive temptation to overlook those who are suffering in your community?

 


Rachel Gabelman is a candidate for the Master of Divinity degree at the School of Theology and Seminary at Saint John’s University, Collegeville, MN. She serves as the Graduate Assistant for the Seeing the Word project.